Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Closer And Closer?

The Writers Guild of America ups the ante with the folks sitting on the far side of the negotiation table:

The WGA leadership continues to apply pressure on TV networks and studios ahead of resuming contract negotiations next Monday. WGA West executive director David Young has sent a letter to ad buyers warning them they may be wasting their money if there’s a writers’ strike come May 2.

“With the cable networks’ upfronts underway and the broadcast networks’ upfronts beginning in May, I am writing to inform you of a potential labor dispute that could have a significant impact on primetime programming for the 2017-2018 television season,” Young wrote in the letter. ...

Focused pressure is what this is. Whether the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers respond to it the way the WGA would like remains to be seen.

Without knowing details, we're left to surmise that there are major issues on the table: Extra help for the Guild's health and pension plans, wages, Residuals? And perhaps it's the employers wanting rollbacks that the WGA isn't prepared to give. No doub we'll find out more in the fullness of time.